Ever considered owning a
wolf as a pet? It may sound
extreme but the question
is not unrealistic: DNA
research proves that the domestic
dog is 99.8 percent wolf. That may
be hard to imagine when watching
a Labradoodle chase a stick or a
little Chihuahua poke its head out of
a designer bag but their nutritional
needs and instincts are the same.
They are animals that should be fed
a meat-based, high-quality protein
diet that is species appropriate.

It was the similarity between
the DNA of dogs and wolves that
inspired Geoff Bowers to create
a new kind of dog food.During a
sabbatical to study the grey wolf in
Alaska, the former policeman and
dog handler from Britain closely
observed the wolves’ feeding habits.
He decided to break into the dog
food market with a natural product
that was as close as possible to the
diet of the Grey Wolf. With business
partner Bruce Mayhew, Bowers
started mixing ingredients for the
ultimate dog food during weekends.

The food is different from other
dog food in that it is 100 percent
natural, raw and made from either
beef, lamb, chicken, venison,
salmon and a small amount of
vegetables, eggs and fruit, true to
the nutritional needs of canines.

Bowers’ wolf-inspired dog-food
business, K9 Natural, took off in
2006 and has grown significantly,
says chief executive Calvin Smith.
The Christchurch-based company
now exports to Japan, Hong Kong,
Taiwan, Australia, South Korea,
Singapore and most recently the
UK, Germany and the US.

Smith approached a number
of local banks for assistance with
export matters and dealing with
foreign currencies. He found the
Bank of New Zealand was the best
fit for the growing company.

“BNZ was the most open to us
and their turnaround was quick,”
he says. “BNZ’s focus on small to
medium-sized businesses was
a massive selling point for us.
Most of the other banks were only
interested in larger businesses.”

Smith says that BNZ and the
New Zealand Export Credit Office
were instrumental to winning the
contract with the US distributor.
Prior to the last negotiation with
the distributor, K9 Natural got a
trade credit guarantee from NZECO
and BNZ provided a trade finance
loan in US dollars. “With the trade
finance in place, we were able to
negotiate a satisfactory deal.”

The bank’s Christchurch based
Trade Centre was a
strong attraction to K9 Natural.
“Everything that I require from a
banking perspective is available
right here in Christchurch.”

BNZ’s Trade Centre is a onestop-
shop for anything customers
need help with in the international
space. The team of 30 staff—
including trade specialists and
international bankers—handles all
types of international transactions.
The primary focus is removing
the risk element for customers,
whether they are making
international payments, drafting
a deal or putting controls in place
to protect their export business,
says Craig Wilson, partner of
international trade at BNZ.

“Customers can come in and see
us directly,” Wilson says. “Most of
them are only a car ride away.”

The international bankers
and trade specialists often visit
customers to discuss their
international business, including
strategy, risk and cash flow
management.

The Trade Centre, with
its personal contact, works
well alongside BNZ’s online
international payments service.
“You just can’t beat people on the
ground,” says Wilson.

The Christchurch Trade Centre
looks after the South Island and the
North Island south of Taupo, while
the Auckland-based Trade Centre
looks after the rest of the country.

The next step for K9 Natural
is setting up a web shop in the
US. Because the dog food is raw,
it’s either frozen or freeze-dried.
The lightweight freeze-dried food
comes in portable packs and has a
long shelf life, making it ideal for
selling online. But launching a US
website with trading functionality is
easier said than done. After talking
to many banks, Smith found out
that BNZ was the only bank that
would allow the company to have its
banking in New Zealand, yet charge
American customers in US dollars.
“That was another major reason
why we chose to sign up with BNZ,”
he says. “The only other way we
could have done it was to set up
a bank account in the US, which
means we would have to set up a
company there. That would have
taken months and we didn’t have
that time.”

In brief

K9 Natural exports wolf inspired dog food

Partnered with BNZ's Trade Centre

BNZ allows K9 Natural to bank here in New Zealand but charge in US dollars